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Santa Cruz County Land Use & Development Overview



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Santa Cruz YIMBY describes itself as a grass-roots organization for people who want to see more housing built in their communities.

California Local Pin Marker Local Land Use & Development Digest

Schools Consider Workforce Housing

04/24/2024

Santa Cruz City Schools is exploring the development and building below-market rate housing for teachers and other staff priced out of the county rental market.

A Private Calif. Ranch Holds Important State History — And It Might Be in Danger

04/19/2024

Some residents fear development could destroy parts of the historic land.

California Local Pin Marker Recent Articles

Good Times logo LOCAL NEWS
How Tall Will We Go?

When the Town Clock was dedicated in 1976, it represented Santa Cruzans’ hopes for the future and recalled memories of turn-of-the-century Pacific Avenue when trolleys lumbered by and the clock sat atop the Odd Fellows Building.

The Pajaronian logo LOCAL NEWS
U.S. Army Corps Seeks Public Input on Pajaro River Levee Environmental Study

The agency responsible for the rebuild of the Pajaro River Levee has completed an environmental assessment for Reach 6 of the project, and is seeking public input before finalizing it.

The Pajaronian logo LOCAL NEWS
‘Nuisance’ Homeless Camp on Airport Blvd. Approved for Clearing, Cleanup

In a weed-strewn, vacant lot on Airport Boulevard Tuesday, Bryan Hilgeman was busy around his makeshift tarp dwelling where he lives, along with about 40 people in the unsanctioned homeless camp.

KSQD logo LOCAL NEWS
Low-Impact Camping Ordinance Raises Questions in Fire Zone

The Low Impact Camping Ordinance drafted by the Santa Cruz County Planning Commission took some rural residents by surprise. On one hand, people are already renting out camping sites on their private properties, sometimes with negative impacts on neighbors, sometimes …

Santa Cruz Local logo LOCAL NEWS
Transportation Commission Reaffirms Support for Rail Trail

The Santa Cruz County Regional Transportation Commission on Thursday reaffirmed its support for a paved path parallel to the train tracks through Capitola and Seacliff. (Stephen Baxter — Santa Cruz Local file)
SANTA CRUZ >> The Santa Cruz County Regional …

San Lorenzo Valley Post logo LOCAL NEWS
AmeriCorps Team Improves San Lorenzo Valley Native Habitat

An AmeriCorps team led by San Lorenzo Valley Native Habitat Restoration Program founder and advisor Linda Skeff weeded invasive plants from the native plant demonstration beds at the San Lorenzo Valley Museum Grace Gallery in Boulder Creek on a rainy …

Press Banner logo LOCAL NEWS
State Certifies Scotts Valley’s Housing Element on First Try

During a report at the April 3 Council meeting, Scotts Valley City Manager Mali LaGoe announced the California Department of Housing and Community Development had certified its Housing Element—on its first try.

KSQD logo LOCAL NEWS
California’s Insurance Crisis: Interview With Deputy Insurance Commissioner Michael Soller

In part II of "Have you Been Canceled?", a look at California's homeowner's insurance crisis, Rachel Anne Goodman talks with Deputy Insurance Commissioner and spokesperson for Commissioner Ricardo Lara, Michael Soller. She asks him about the proposed fixes coming from …

Santa Cruz Local logo LOCAL NEWS
One-Way Traffic on West Cliff Quashed by Santa Cruz City Council

Storm damage prompts authorities to close West Cliff Drive near Woodrow Avenue in January 2023. (Stephen Baxter — Santa Cruz Local file)
SANTA CRUZ >> The Santa Cruz City Council on Tuesday unanimously rejected a pilot program for one-way traffic …

KSQD logo LOCAL NEWS
California’s Insurance Crisis Hits Homeowners Hard

In this program, State Senator John Laird and Executive Director of Consumer Watchdog, Carmen Balber discuss California's homeowner's insurance crisis and whether Commissioner Ricardo Lara's proposed fixes will actually help the flight of insurance companies from the state or make …

Featured

Lighthouse Field in Santa Cruz, which might be a huge resort if not for the Coastal Commission.
The Public Shore Protectors
Born amid controversy, this public agency is responsible for managing some of the most precious real estate in the world.
Zoning laws tell you what you can and can't build on the property you own. How does government get away with that?
How Zoning Laws Shape California and Society
Zoning is everywhere, but is it a way to regulate development or a tool for social engineering?
How California reclamation districts turned millions of acres of wetlands into fertile agricultural land, starting in the earliest days of the Gold Rush.
Reclamation Districts: Turning ‘Swamps’ Into Farmland
From its earliest days as a state, California has been trying to turn marshes into productive land.
Since 1972, the California Coastal Commission has ruled over the state’s shoreline.
California Coastal Commission: Where It Comes From, What It Does
How a nuclear plant, a real estate development and an oil spill led to a landmark law.
The Baldwin Hills area in South Los Angeles is one region where a state conservancy would keep open land accessible to the public.
California’s 10 State Conservancies: How They Protect Parks and Open Land
Starting in 1976, the legislature began creating agencies to buy up open land, and keep it open.
Does California’s signature environmental law protect the state’s scenic beauty, or cause more problems than it solves?
CEQA: The Surprising Story of CA’s Key Environmental Law
54-year-old environmental law is often blamed for causing the state’s housing crisis. Is it getting a bad rap?
The 1965 law known as the Williamson Act has been responsible for keeping about half of California's farmland out of the hands of developers.
The Williamson Act: How the Law That Protects California’s Farmland Works
More than half of California farmland is under contracts that prevent its development.
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